Modular homes can be confusing at first because there are many different names for them.  They are labeled prefabricated, modular, prefab, and even incorrectly called manufactured.  Putting names aside, what is a modular home?  Is it different from a traditionally built home?  Yes.  There are quite a few differences between these two types of homes that are important for every prospective homeowner to know.

Their planning stages are often different.  With traditional homes a prospective homeowner may need to draft plans with an independent architect or possibly pick a style from a book.  Modular homes are usually planned with the company that will build the home.  Some companies, such as Irontown homes, will work with customers during every step of the planning process to create plans that fit the customer’s style while remaining functional.

When the building process begins the two types of homes split even more.  Modular homes are built inside a factory while traditional homes are built at the construction site.  Factories will often use an assembly line style process to build a home, but Irontown Homes approaches the building process differently.  We give each home a designated space where it is built instead of passing it along a line.  This process is more efficient than an assembly line, so construction time is reduced.

It usually takes eight to ten weeks to build a modular home once the planning process is completed.  A traditional home can take several months to complete due to unforeseen delays.  Modular homes do not have this problem because the environment they are built in is controlled.  The temperature is controlled to keep the quality materials in their original state.  Building inside also protects the construction area from the elements, so there are no delays due to weather.  Traditional homes are at the mercy of the environment and subject to quite a few delays.  These delays may range from weather to waiting for materials.  Having a shorter building process also means a modular home will be less expensive, because a customer will use less of their construction loan.

Once a modular home is completed it is then transported in pieces to the construction site.  At the site the home will be put together on the foundation.  With Irontown Homes the foundation will already be laid, so the assembly can start immediately.  Also, Irontown Homes does all the assembly on site, instead of simply dropping it off, to ensure consistency and quality workmanship.

Building a modular home is convenient for the customer because they have less to worry about.  Construction sites get messy with garbage.  With a modular home all the garbage is taken care of at the factory.  Traditional homes sometimes require prospective homeowners to deal with extra services, such as a dumpster service.

Modular homes are often built to be smaller than a traditional home, but this does not happen all the time.  Irontown Homes builds homes in a range of sizes to meet the needs of each customer.  We build smaller homes, including a home that was 300 square feet, and we also build large multimillion dollar homes.  Our most recent large project is a custom home in Beverly Hills.

There are other differences between modular homes and traditional homes, but they are much smaller.  These two types of homes are built very differently and each method will produce a functional home.  However, modular homes do tend to have more benefits than negative qualities.  They are different from the traditional home building process, but their difference is a homeowner’s gain.

Modular homes or prefab homes consist of several built-in components or modules that are delivered to its intended location for assembly. The different modules or sections are shipped to the location and they are assembled using large overhead cranes. The modules include bed rooms, living rooms, dining rooms and kitchens that match the requirements of the owner.

These homes are often confused with mobile homes or manufactured homes. People are often confused with what are the differences between mobile, manufactured, modular, prefab, etc. What do they all mean?  The original concept of homes built efficiently in a factory on a steel trailer chaise that could be moved to a new location began in the 1950′s. So many soldiers were coming back from the war and cost effective housing was needed, fast. Since these homes had tires and were mobile they were considered personal property, not attached to real property, hence having a VIN number and treated as a mobile structure. Soon the term “mobile homes” began to be associated with the low quality and fast depreciation. Becuase of this, many factories began raising the quality level and building manufactured homes based on the HUD code. HUD stands for Housing and Urban Development Code. The federal government, in an effort to regulate the construction of factory built homes, issued a national building code for manufacturing facilities. With this national code a factory could build a home in any part of the country and it will be accepted nationwide, not requiring it to meet each individual state or city building codes. These HUD code homes still have a steel chaise and are constantly having the mortgage argument about real property vs. personal property. Many HUD homes struggle with financing problems and depreciation. As the evolution continued modular homes or another term is prefab homes surfaced to still utilize the time and streamlining of the factory process but reduce the low quality, financing and depreciation problems of it’s predecessors. Modular homes or prefab homes are built on a location basis. They are built to meet the building code standards of the state or city they are constructed in. They have wood floor systems and are permanently attached to the foundation causing the homes to be real property and no different than any of their neighboring homes built directly on-site. Since modular or prefab homes are constructed to the same code as their neighboring site built homes they are inspected by the same city inspectors, financed the same, appraised the same, resell is the same, appreciation is the same and once attached to the permanent foundation they are no different than site built home. Irontown Homes has taken the modular or prefab industry to a new level by offering custom built, custom designed homes that make it possible to build almost any home design in the factory no matter what features, what materials or what size the of home. 

Today, more and more people are opting for a modular homes or prefab because of the benefits that come with it. Some of the benefits of buying a modular home include the following:

Flexibility in Design

A modular home provides a high level of customization to suit the needs of each and every customer. They can be built for any specification. It can be a single-level or a multi-level home. Its design can be a simple one module building or a 12,000 square feet mansion with everything in between. The design possibilities are endless and it gives the owner an opportunity to work closely with the builder and determine exactly how the house should be built. Numerous floor plans can be made and the owner can pick the one that he or she likes the best. So, with a modular home, one can get the exact dream house without any kind of compromise.

Less building time

The amount of time required to build a modular home is less. With weeks in the factory and mere weeks on site to finish the modules it can save a lot of time over a site built home. This is because work can be done in parallel. The excavation and foundation can be completed at the site location while the house is being built in the factory. There is no more hassle involved with contractors, weather delays, vandalism or theft. With all of the materials and resources centrally located in the factory and no outside weather restrictions a schedule can be very rigid with few interuptions.

Building codes and state regulations

Prefab homes have to adhere to the building codes and regulations laid down by each state. The regulations ensure that it meets the quality standards of any site-built home and so there is no difference between modular homes and site built construction in terms of quality. Modular homes have to go through a more stringent procedure than site-built homes. They have to meet the building codes of the state in which the house is going to be assembled. The building plan has to be approved by the state before the construction is started. They are subjected to frequent inspections from housing officials. An independent third party has to review the construction process, its quality and it has to place a label stating that the home complied with all codes and regulations. All these codes and regulations mean a higher quality in construction and delivery.

Energy efficient

Modular homes are highly energy efficient because they use the latest technologies in construction. The walls require a two-by-six frame and this gives an added insulation that can save a lot more energy. They can be made to adapt to the living conditions of its final place of residence. Another advantage with the construction is that they are packed tightly and so there is little scope for the infiltration of external air. Also, during the process of manufacturing, the building company tends to use a lot more sealants in all the areas and so the home is completely sealed. This helps these homes to maintain a reasonably constant temperature year around and so the energy required to heat or cool is reduced.

Superior Quality

The quality of materials used in making modular homes is high because they have to weather the transportation and assembly. To withstand this strain, an additional twenty percent of material is used over site-built homes. This makes them more sturdy and stable. Since the modules are tightly packed into one unit, they are better able to weather the forces of nature like hurricane and floods. The frequent inspections by third-party companies also add to its superior quality. They are more durable than site-built homes because they are completely sealed and there is no part that is left untouched. All these factors make modular homes a top-notch quality home.

Environment Friendly

Modular homes use a lot less materials than site-built homes and there is minimal wastage. The extra materials are reused for another module or stored for the next construction project. This means lesser use of construction materials and lesser harm to the environment. These modules are made in factories that are located far away from residential areas and so they have minimal impact on the living conditions of any city or community. It is also possible to recycle the parts easily. When temporary modular homes are dismantled, the modules can be used for another home. This reduces the materials required for construction and also reduces the time to build new modules.

Reduced cost

The cost of building a modular home is far less than a regular site-built home. This is mainly because there are minimal delays due to weather conditions or contractor problems. The modules are built inside a factory and so there are no delays related to weather. Also, in the case of site-built homes, weather can bring down some of the construction and this part has to be re-built. There is no such problem in the modular home industry and this means reduced cost for the owner.

The reduced time in constructing these homes translate to reduced financing costs. The amount of interest is also less and so the consumer has to pay only a lesser amount of money on mortgage. Another advantage is that modular home builders purchase building supplies in bulk because of the number of orders they get through the year. So, the purchasing costs that are transferred to the home owner is less and this finally reflects in the overall cost of the finished house.

Remote locations and tight neighborhoods

Modular homes are the ideal choice for people living in remote locations or over-populated neighborhoods. It may be difficult to find contractors in remote locations because people may not be willing to travel far. Also, it may cost more to bring contractors to the remote location from their place of residence. For such places, modular homes are the perfect choice because the construction is done at a different place and only the final assembly is done at the remote location. This is the same for crowded neighborhoods as well. There may not be enough space to keep the construction materials or the contractors may not have the space required to move around to build the house. In this case also, modular homes are the best choice.

Conclusion

In short, modular homes offer the best value for money. They are not only aesthetically designed and environment-friendly, but they are also cheap and are superior in quality. They offer a great amount of flexibility and it can be built for any location and any specification. These are some of the factors that make modular homes a popular option today among many home-owners.

In the past, the words “prefabricated house” simply meant a double wide trailer. Though many people still hold this misconception, the truth is that prefabricated homes have become a whole lot more than just a trailer. Also known as modular homes, prefabricated homes can be a cozy cabin, a large luxury house, or anything in between.

A prefabricated house is constructed into several large pieces a factory. These pieces are then shipped to the location, where final assembly is completed. More people are now considering modular homes as a viable housing option. These houses are becoming a big trend because they offer many advantages to a traditionally built home.

When people think about the time involved in building a house, it is a large project that will usually take 4 to 6 months to complete. Many times a family ends up moving into a rental home, apartment, or a spare room at a family or friend’s house because their old house has already sold, but they’re still waiting on their new one to finish being built. The need for short term solutions like this are greatly reduced with prefabricated house. Typically a modular home will take about 2 months to construct completely, though once they ship to the site it may be livable in a matter of days. This is an even greater advantage in cold climates, where there are only a few months that are suitable for construction.

Prefabricates houses typically cost less than their traditionally built counterparts. One of the biggest reasons for this is how quickly they can be built in the factories. Usually they can be built in about one third of the time of a traditionally constructed house. When buying a house, part of the cost is the salary for the workers to build it. Reducing the number of hours spent working on the house reduces the cost to hire the workers. Because the designs are all built using a standard set of parts and pieces, waste is reduced. This also helps keep the price lower, because less waste means fewer material costs. The pieces being standardized also helps prevent additional costs and hold ups due to mistakes.

Modular homes are also more eco-friendly. They are better insulated than a traditional home, lowering the energy requirements to heat and cool the house year round. Recyclable, renewable, and sustainable materials are used, limiting negative impacts on the environment.

Quality is also enhanced in a prefabricated house. In addition to the improved insulation, these houses are more durable. Part of this comes simply from the construction process. Because building a home takes time, all parts of a traditionally built home are exposed to nature. Not only are bugs an issue, but during the months of building, it will also rain, most likely at the most inconvenient and inopportune times. Modular homes are constructed in a factory where they are protected from these elements. When they are taken outside to be shipped to the site, they are complete, so only the finished siding and roofing will be exposed to rain and bugs. They are also made to be very strong and sturdy, making them better equipped to withstand a natural disaster such as a hurricane or tornado.

Another great advantage to modular houses is personalization. When looking for a house, few people have both the time and money available to purchase a custom traditionally built home. With a prefabricated home, the customer is in charge. Whether you need a lot of bedrooms for a large family, want a large kitchen, or simply have a specific layout in mind, it is all possible with a modular home.

Though they were once considered inferior, prefabricated houses are a great option for people looking for a house today. With so many great benefits and advantages, modular homes are the future of house construction.

Irontown is set apart from other factories by offering our clients the chance to customize every detail of their home.  Our process for building a home is designed to make this exciting project go smoothly.  While in the planning stages we want you to be creative with your home’s details while maintaining goals and expectations that are realistic for your timeline and budget.

Fast Track Program

Our new Fast Track Program provides owners with the opportunity to start building right away by choosing a plan that is pre-engineered and pre-designed.  Each plan uses the same quality standards and flexibility of any of our projects, but it has a shorter construction timeline.  When you have completed the selection phase, construction can begin immediately to put your home on the track of fast completion.

Custom Plans

Shop Drawings: You can give the reigns over to your creativity during this stage as you plan your custom luxury home.  Shop drawing has two stages: preliminary planning and full set planning.  The first stage creates a basic version of your floor plan.  You get to decide where windows, walls, and doors will be placed, specific elevations, and many other details.  When everything has been decided in the preliminary stage we move on to the full set planning stage.  This stage deals with the technical aspects and adds details that will make the construction process smoother.  These details cover a large range including cross sections and mechanical, plumbing, and electrical plans.

Specification and Selections: Picking your home’s styles, colors, features, and fixtures is the most exciting stage of the home planning process.  This stage starts with a standard selection package which you can customize down to the very last detail; we do not glaze over any details.  During this process our design team is right there with you to help you choose what upgrades and options are best for your budget.  Our large range of options includes many styles that have attractive features at reasonable costs.  You can simply enjoy this stage because we are there to help you at each step of this stage.

Structural Engineering: When the plans get approved they move on to engineering where a state licensed engineer determines the requirements of the structure, performs load calculations, and provides the plans for floor framing, roof framing, foundation, the truss layout, and the structural detail.  These details include exposure to wind, the roof load, seismic elements, and soil conditions.  This stage does require the client to provide the factory with the Geo-tech soils report and tepo map in advance.  The complete detailed foundation plan is also created during this stage, and it includes stem wall height, footing, sizes, widths, and other details.

Permitting and Approval: Every pre-fab home we build has to go through the State approval process and the Local Building Department approval process to receive a building permit.  (This excludes Utah and Wyoming.)  Irontown works on the modular portion of the State Division process, and we can also complete the local department’s modular portion as well.  We also make sure to prepare a Rescheck for or Title 24, which is an energy conservation report, when they are required.

Factory Construction: At first this stage sounds a little daunting, but it is relatively simple for our clients.  Since they have already made the decisions, we can get to work on construction your home.  As we build your home we give you progress updates all the time.  We also have a special spot on our website where you can always watch your home being built in the factory.  Throughout the construction process there will be inspections and fund draws.  You can come to the factory as often or infrequently as you want.  The only required visit is the final inspection once your home is completed.

Site and Stitch Work: Our factory is the only one in the west that uses an in-house turnkey building process, which means we can go through each stage of the process or we can do a single stage if you prefer.  For your convenience we can install the foundation and do the site work while your home is being built in the factory which saves time and money.  We always are thrilled to help each of our clients through the building process and to stand by their side as their dream luxury home comes together.  We are committed to our clients’ happiness and helping them build their perfect home.

Learning about a Construction Loan

Construction loans are quite different from a standard mortgage.  When you are planning on moving a prefabricated home onto the site it is essential to know what specific financing options are available, how they work, and which one is best for your home.

• Construction loans have a higher interest rate than standard mortgages.  The loan is short term and only requires you to pay interest on the money you used.
• It is a budgeted loan that needs a specific construction budget before it can be established.  The budget is broken down into stages, such as the foundation, and the bank delivers the needed funds once a stage is completed.  This system helps avoid fund shortages as you build your home.
• The construction loan is paid in conjunction with the mortgage once your home is completed.
• Often the building process will still require you to pay some costs out of your pocket, because most construction loans will not cover every expense.
• Certain construction loans will provide a small down payment to a factory and will provide the complete amount once the home is delivered.  Unfortunately it is difficult for Irontown to resell our completely custom homes, so we have outlined specific financing terms for our projects.  With construction loans of this nature an interim financing company can be used to fill in the gap.

Financing Terms for Irontown

• First draw – 25% of modular amount
• Draw for 4-way completion – 25% of modular amount
• Draw for completion of paint – 25% of modular amount
• Draw for ending inspection at the factory – 25% of modular amount

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FAQ

What areas do you service?

Our new factory is approximately 30 miles south of Salt Lake City in Central Utah.  We build custom homes for clients in Nevada, Wyoming, California, Utah, Montana, Idaho, and Colorado.

When was the company founded?

It started more than 25 years ago, and over the years we have built over 10,000 modular homes.  We have delivered homes over great distances, including one with a site that was 1,300 miles from the factory, and our homes have been built in nine states.  Recently we opened our fourth and current production factory.  The company is full service with a trucking company, an on-site stitch crew, and a set crew.  We believe our experience in the industry is the key to making beautiful custom homes.

What is the biggest project you have ever built?

Since the company was founded 25 years ago we have constructed over 10,000 modular homes.  The biggest residential project we have had contained 15 modules and was 9,000 square feet total.  It is located in Tahoe, CA.  The biggest commercial building we have built is in Snowmass, CO.  It had more than 65 modules and was more than 20,000 square feet.  No matter the size of the project, Irontown can build it.

Are there surprise costs during the building process or are the original prices what I will pay?

The purchase contract is finalized once plans for your home are complete.  At that time both parties agree to the prices, and then there are no surprise costs unless you request any changes.  We are committed to saving you money and we want all the costs to be clear so you know exactly how much your home will cost.

My site is far from your facility, will that be a problem for transportation?

It will not be a problem because we deliver to the entire western United States using our company-owned transportation company.  We have even delivered to a site that was 1,300 miles from our factory.  You have nothing to worry about with our company because we handle your complete delivery, including the craning process.

Are there any model homes I can look at?

Since all of our homes are custom it is difficult for us display all the options available in just a few model homes.  You can come to our factory for a tour to see a few of the projects we are working on.  The tour will let you see more of the options, and you will get to witness our quality homes and building process.

Do I get financing through Irontown or through a different company?

There are financing companies we work with that help coordinate the building process.  We offer help with creating a financing package that works with our construction draw schedule.  You can also meet with your local bank to look at construction loans.  If you have any more questions about financing, our project coordinator can answer them.  For more information see our financing page.

How much time is needed to build a home?

When the actual construction process begins a regular sized home usually takes 8 to 10 weeks to complete.  At the same time, we can lay the foundation and do the work on site to save money on your construction loan.

How much more will I save with Irontown than with standard sit construction?

It depends on location, because market values and costs vary between cities and even within a city.  It is possible to save 50%, but more people save between 10 and 15%.  By streamlining our building process we are faster at building homes which saves money when it comes to a construction loan.  We also minimize waste to save you money on building costs.  Irontown’s in-house turnkey process allows for fixed rates for the construction of your home, so you do not have to deal with any surprise costs.

How are panelized, manufactured, modular, and factory built different?

Factory built, pre-fab, manufactured, and modular have been put into a general category what describes a home that is built offsite.  Originally, homes built offsite were called mobile homes, but it was changed to “manufactured” when a negative connotation was attached to the original term.  Today offsite homes are generally called pre-fab or modular.  But what is the difference?  The main difference is the specific code a home is built to.  The federally regulated code for manufactured or mobile homes is the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) code.  These homes use a metal frame, are considered personal property, and often need a VIN number.  Due to these requirements it can be difficult to find financing.  An appraisal of a manufactured home needs to be compared with a “like kind property” that is built to the same code.  These homes often depreciate and have problems with financing and reselling.

Factory built homes are built under the International Building Code, which is the code site homes are built under.  All states have divisions to regulate home construction.  Each division sets up construction guidelines that fit with the local building department.  Under the code, factory built homes are considered real property, like onsite construction homes.  It is just like an onsite built home in that it appreciates and appraises the same way, and it will not have mortgage problems.

To build a panelized home you can purchase walls that come in pre-assembled pieces.  This is often only used for the exterior walls while the remainder of the home is built with on site construction.  Irontown does not build any houses that are panelized, and we feel they do not save clients money or time.

Does the on-site construction need to be handled by a site contractor?

Unlike many factories, Irontown does not simply build the home and then hand it over to a site contractor.  Our in-house turnkey process is full service and we take the project from start to finish with a guarantee on our craftsmanship and pricing.  Once the home is done at the factory the on-site team takes over and finishes construction on your home.  Having us work on the whole project also saves you money, because it spares you any surprise costs from local contractors.

Can I upgrade everything and decide not to use any standard features?  Can I have Viking appliances, bamboo, glass mosaic tiles, and wood windows?

You can have any upgrade or custom feature you want.  We will work out pricing with you to ensure you stay within you desired budget.

May I use an architect I know when designing my home?

Our elite design team is here to take you through the design stage, but if you want to work with a different architect or if you already have a design from an architect that is perfectly fine.  We want you to have the home of your dreams, regardless of where the design came from.

Does Irontown build commercial buildings?

Yes, we have commercial architects licensed to work in all of the western states, and we are able to meet all specifications for commercial buildings.  In the past we have built many commercial buildings, so you can rely on our experience.  These buildings included motels, restaurants, churches, schools, fast food stand alone buildings, and big housing complexes.  Our modular construction provides speed and short construction timelines, which is beneficial for commercial budgets.

Can you build a small home if I just want a basic home that is about 1,200 square feet?

Irontown wants to provide everyone with the opportunity to build a quality and luxury custom home, not matter what size you are looking for.  We have even constructed homes that were 300 square feet.  We are here to help you with projects of any size.  We recently introduced the Fast Track Program that provides clients the option of a quick start while still being customizable and money saving.

I want a green home.  Are your buildings environmentally friendly?  Are they LEED or Energy Star certified?

Protecting the environment and being resourceful is very important to us.  By building in a factory we are about to reuse, recycle, and exercise humidity and inventory control.  The standard features of our homes offer energy saving and recycled elements, including recycled fiberglass batt insulation, low flow valves, Energy Efficient LowE windows, pex water piping, and non voc glue.

In the 1950’s homes began to be built in factories.  We have discovered that streamlining the building process at the factory saves everyone money and makes home building more efficient.

Strength:

When an Irontown home is built it undergoes a rigorous process for engineering for each specific building site.  During the engineering process many factors are taken into account, such as the site’s soil content, estimated annual wind and snow presence, and the position in an earthquake zone.  This information is at the center of the foundation design process the make sure it is perfect for the site’s environment.  We feel this is important because there is no good standard for every area.  Foundations need to be designed differently according to soil type.  We apply this same concept to all areas of a home.  Our attention and consideration of detail will help you design a home that will be safe and sturdy, no matter where the site is located.

Quality:

Building in our factory makes quality control simpler which is an essential part of our building process.  Site construction of homes is a little less certain than our factory built homes because there isn’t always someone on site.  Site construction contractors have to travel from site to site, which leaves the site more open to mistakes, thievery, and vandalism.  This situation leaves day to day decisions and details up to the subcontractors and this can cause negative results.  Working in one factory gives Irontown an advantage because all the members of your team, including your project manager, are all at the same site.  Being in close proximity allows your team to collaborate efficiently so the building process is quick and accurate.  It is similar to having your project manager at your site 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Cost Savings:

Our efficient streamline process is sure to save you a lot.  The factory’s controlled environment helps us save you money by eliminating delays due to weather, subcontractors traveling costs, delays concerning materials, and many other costs of strictly on-site construction.  Our factory allows our skilled workers to start right away with all the necessary tools provided to them.  There are no delays for setting up and cleaning up at the end of the day.

Building your home in a factory not only provides control over almost every aspect of the project, but it also reduces material waste and allows for a fixed budget.  Since each home is built in the factory it is protected from external issues, such as damage from weather, vandalism, and theft.  This alone can save you thousands of dollars.  Part of our mission at the factory is to protect our environment by reducing the amount of construction waste.  Our special inventory control program assists us in regulating materials that go unused and direct them to projects that need them.  Unlike most site construction that dumps its waste into a landfill, Irontown uses all of the scraps left over from a home in any way possible.

Since market values and costs vary between cities and even within a single city, the savings vary between homes.  On average, we save our clients 10 to 15%, but in the past some clients have saved up to 50%.

Time Savings:

At Irontown Homes we realize that your times is as precious as your hard earned money, and we are committed to saving you as much time as possible.  Standard site construction is vulnerable to surprises that can waste time and money.  Also the longer construction goes on the higher the interest on a construction loan gets which only adds to your bill.  We know you are eager to begin making memories in your new home, so why not come explore Irontown Homes where we value your interests, efficiency, and quick and quality construction projects.

The beginning of a legacy…

The idea of Irontown Homes took root more than 50 years ago when Richard Valgardson and his father began to move houses.  At the time Richard was only 11 years old.  Paul Valgardson, Richard’s father, had just come home from World War II and purchased a company that moved houses.  The company was located in Provo, Utah, and he named it Valgardson House Movers.  Richard was the oldest child in his family, so he spent a lot of time with his father, helping him at work.  During this time he learned almost everything about building a home and the weaknesses of site construction.  Once Richard completed studying at Brigham Young University, where he was a member of the football team, he chose to start a construction company.  This company was successful for several years before he decided to start a new company.  In 1987 he started Valgardson Housing Systems, which drew on his own life experience of moving houses and learning about custom site building.  The company was extremely successful and built at least 300 modular homes a year.  Richard started Irontown Homes when he looked at the industry and realized there were no companies that offered their clients a truly customized home where the client decided what their home would be like.

As a family company, many of the employees of Irontown Homes, including the executives, began their experience in the industry at a young age like Richard.  Our family cares about your family, and we believe it is important to build a friendship and always keep you family’s wants and needs in mind as we build your perfect custom home.

With Irontown Homes you can truly customize your prefabricated home by choosing everything from the floor plan to the tiniest detail.  We proudly build throughout the Western region of the country, with our specialty being in the heavily populated regions of California.  Irontown is committed to seeing each project through with our stitch crew, set crew, and Irontown owned transportation company.  Once the home is built in the factory, our other teams continue to work hard at the site of your new home.  By starting and completing your custom home in-house, Irontown makes the building process smooth both at the factory and the construction site.  This proven process also saves you from headaches, spending more money than needed, and you will not waste any of your time on unnecessary problems.

Recently we opened a new facility that uses state of the art technology, which is sure to increase Irontown’s already high level of productivity.  The new facility will also save our clients money and increase the speed of our construction by using a simplified process at the factory.  Instead of using a strictly standard assembly line style process, we put each custom home in its own area and build it according to its specifications.  By recognizing that each unique home has a different construction timeline we focus on each home’s production needs in their own areas to ensure that one home will not slow down another home’s creation like a standard system would.

With 60,000 of the facility’s 66,000 square feet devoted to production, we have successfully quadrupled this area from our last facility.  The ceilings are 45 feet tall and the building has a 180 foot span of overhead cranes.  Both of which allow us to build a two-story home within the facility with one floor on top of the other.  We build our homes in the factory to look the same way they will at the construction site so the final state at the site is smoother and simpler.  Our new facility is made to accommodate projects of all sizes.

Stop by for a tour of our new facility.

As we know, California living is great; but the cost of living isn’t !  That means more money out of pocket just for the basics. What does this mean for you when you are planning to build a home ? It means that maybe you need to shop around. There are other methods of getting a home built and getting into it. Irontown Homes has a solution for that very dilemma. Let’s look at some of the ways that Irontown Homes can help you in this situation.

Labor is more economical sometimes when you get out of a high cost of living area. Irontown Homes has a modern, fully equipped 60,000 ft factory in Spanish Fork, nearby  Provo, in Utah. With the labor and all of the building being done there, you can save money because of the lower cost of living in the area. Imagine the tremendous savings over a site built home in your average California neighborhood !

Another consideration is pace. When building on site, you have to work around the weather and other issues. Those things pose no problem when you have your home completely built in factory. Irontown Homes’ state of the art facility is designed for the utmost speed and functionality while retaining all of the quality in design, materials, and workmanship. Having the entire process in a controlled environment, away from weather, vandals, and other dangers to your home as it is being built, can dramatically save time. This of course means getting you into your new home faster !

There is of course the money and time issue involved with the various processes of home building, on site building can involve multiple contractors. That is not so with Irontown Homes. The same people who build your quality home in the factory , bring it to your site and finish every part so that all you have to do is open the door and move in. All of this from the same folks who you started off with. That being said, you don’t have to worry with surprise costs that can pop up with multiple contractors. Everything about your new home has already been discussed and drawn up in contract according to your desires and budget.

When you have space as an issue, that is no problem for Irontown Homes, their team of designers can build small and elegant or large and commercial. The size does not matter, they are flexible and cater to your design goals. There is no worry also because of space to build on. It can be very hard to get a home built on site with a very small lot. When you choose a factory built home that is finished, all that needs doing is to bring it in and place it. Irontown Homes handles all those steps beautifully with the top in customer satisfaction, very important in some of the neighborhoods in suburban California areas.

So now you know there is a great alternative that can save you time and money. For top quality and trusted service see Irontown Homes. They can help you realize your dreams for a premium California lifestyle.

Modular homes construction is often considered the future of the home building industry. The roots of this type of construction dates back to almost a century ago when two significant events in the beginning of the 20th century have contributed to the evolution of the modern modular home as we know it today.

In 1908, Sears Roebuck & Company began manufacturing and selling kit homes. People could purchase these homes from the popular Sears catalog, which listed a variety of home styles. Although these kit homes were not constructed before their shippment to the home site, they were among the first homes that had their complete system of materials. A modular home buyer could expect their kits to arrive via the railroad and complete with around 30,000 pieces and more than 70-pages instruction manual on how to assemble the house.

In addition to their catalog, Sears started selling building materials in 1895. By 1908, the Sears home buyers were invited to mail in and ask for a copy of their “Book of Modern Homes” featuring various house plans and building materials. From 1908 to 1940, people ordered more than 75,000 modular homes from Sears. Their first catalog was 68-pages long and provided the selection of more than 44 modular home designs, ranging in price from $695 to $4,119. Besides those 44 house designs, the company also offered a schoolhouse design.

After the buyers selected the preferrable home design, they were asked to send in $1. Then they received via mail a bill covering materials expenses and full blueprints. Once the full order was placed, the $1 was credited to their purchase amount. Then two box cars would arrive by train with about 30,000 pieces of the home they ordered. In a 75-page manual, homeowners could read how to assemble those 30,000 pieces. The kit also included 750 pounds of nails, 20,000 shingles for the rood and 22 gallons of paint and varnish. There was a recommendation in the instructions book to put 1,100 cement blocks for the basement walls and foundation, however masonry and plaster were not included in the kit.

By 1932, during the times of the Great Depression, Sears modern homes department operated at a loss, with sales dropping by 40% in a single year. This lead to the beginning of the end for the modular homes catalog. In 1939, the Business Week magazine commented, “Sears pulled down the shades and quietly tiptoed from the room”.

In 1913, auto/motor pioneer Henry Ford introduced a new concept line at his automobile factory. His revolutionary idea allowed the manufacturers to significantly reduce the time of construction time of a new automobile, while the control and quality at all levels of the process had been maintained.

Almost 50 years later, the contepts introduced by Sears and Ford companies were merged to start the new era of the modular home industry.

After World War II, the demand for new homes was so great that the housing factories couldn’t keep up. This was one of the main reasons why modular homes began evolving so tremendously. Modular homes costed much lower and produced an efficiency that could rarely seen wìth mobile homes. The homes built during that time are still being used even now. Modular homes that were built nearly half the century ago were the same as modenr HUD-code or mobile homes.

In 1958, a first two-section modular home was produced conforming to an applicable building code. And actually, this is the time when the modular homes industry was formally born.

The following decades, the modular housing manufacturers worked hard to improve their technologies and differentiate their homes from the HUD-code homes industry. HUD-code homes, also called mobile homes, were built in accordance with a federally-mandated building code (HUD). Modular homes have been built to meet all building codes and were erected on a permanent foundation. Their value and quality made them almost indistinguishable from other site-built houses.

Up to 1980s, most modular homes were simple rectangular with 2 or 4 manufactured modules. However, with the advent of computers and design programs, the modular homes industry began to evolve literally outside the box.

In the last twenty years, with the pioneering work of erecting homes using overhead cranes, the sophistication of modular housing increased greatly. With the new methods and technologies, large modules could be constructed and shipped throughout the whole country. The only limitation of these modules was the width of the road from the manufacturing factory to the building site. The present-day modular homes normally consist of 3 to 6 constructional modules.
With the increase of modular homes, people had much more options to customize their housing. Custom designed modules could be created on individual request and homeowners could have the final building as tall and wide as they wished.

A few modern examples of how sophisticated modular units have become can be seen on the example of the cruise liner Queen Mary 2, which is the largest and most expensive cruise liner. Modular units have also been used to build McDonalds restaurants. Most Americans today live in modular contructions and since the finished building looks the same as the traditionally built houses, no one can really realize they live in a modular home.

Modular homes can rival any site-built building in functionality and design. With the latest computer-assisted design (CAD) programs and modern construction technologies, almost any custom home plan can be built as modular homes.